SOS Signal (Morse Code)

Three dots, three dashes, three dots: the universal distress call/Events & Phenomena

The SOS distress signal (... --- ...) was adopted as the international maritime distress signal in 1906. In standard Morse code, a dit lasts about 60 milliseconds at 20 words per minute, a dah is three times as long, and the entire SOS signal takes about 2.52 seconds. SOS does not actually stand for 'Save Our Souls' or 'Save Our Ship'; it was chosen because it was easy to transmit and recognize. The Titanic was among the first ships to use it.